Many Problems, One Solution
by ladierock
Summary: There's an attack on the academy. Lissa, Rose, and Dimitri are locked in the moroi dorms. One of them was bitten and will turn at any moment. Many die, a few survive but will the out come be enough to continue at the academy. All credit to Richelle Mead:D
1. BLood and Casualties

The bells rang sounding off as an alarm. No one was ready. I know I wasn't. I was in my dorm room when I felt Lissa through the bond. Pain, heartbreak, and fear ran through me.

_I have to go to her. _

It was after curfew and the bells meant lock down but that wouldn't stop me from getting to her.

I pulled on my navy gray jacket with my black sweater underneath and my old converse that my flared jeans feel over. The guardian supposed to be guarding the fourth floor hallway was probably called away so I easily slipped down the stairs and past the moroi at the front desk while she was bent down under the desk.

The tightness in my lungs grew with every agonizing step I took. I ran through the trees and across the quad towards the moroi girl's dorm room where she was waiting crying, too scared to move.

"Rose what are you…?" Dimitri tried to stop me and ask but I kept going around the building to the side door of dorm.

I hadn't realized he was chasing me until I stopped at the horrible sight in front of me. Christian was dead in Lissa's arms, eyes vacant and open, blood still pouring from where his neck was torn. Lissa was weeping silently, scared and shaken and covered in blood.

"Do you know what's going? What the hell were you…?" Dimitri stopped shouting out me as he took in the scene before us.

Immediately he went past me and towards Christian. He gently shut his eyes and bowed his head in respect. I moved next to Lissa kneeling beside her. I pulled her into my arms but she was too stiff and cold to be moved.

I kissed the top of her forehead and stroked her hair, whispering comforting words in her native German language.

"We have to move. We're too much in the open to protect her," Dimitri warned. I nodded solemnly and whispered it in German to Lissa since she didn't seem to hear him.

"Liss. We have to move. Come on Sweetie. Let him go," I whispered.

Gently, Dimitri unclasped her hands from around Christian and moved him to the ground in a respectful way.

"He'll be taken care of but first we have to get you safe," he reiterated.

She nodded and stood up still shaky. Dimitri yanked the side door open pushing us in before him. Locking the door behind him, we headed up the stairs that lead to the second story Moroi Lounge. The Power was off so we only had our supernatural vision to rely on. Most Moroi were still out side when the warning bells rang, late for returning to their dorms, so it wasn't a surprise that the dorms were mostly empty. The Second floor lounge was completely deserted.

Dimitri shut the door again behind us and moved toward where Lissa and I were sitting on one of the burgundy couches. He draped his coat over Lissa's shoulders and look her over,

"Are you heart in any way?"

"No," mumbled in a half catatonic state. I tried to jump into her head the way she pulled me in earlier tonight but something was keeping me out.

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

"W-we didn't seem him coming…h-he came out of no where…"

"Who sweetie?" But I already knew the answer.

"B-blonde strogoi. I w-was facing Christian and Christian had his back turned toward him…" she started weeping but controlled her self enough to continue. "He turned at the last moment to protect me but…he got him…he got him…I couldn't heal him…"

"It's okay, it's going to be okay," I comforted pulling her into my chest. I was lying of course but I wasn't going to let her think this son of a nutcracker was going to get her. She had to know I'd protect her enough for me and Dimitri both.

Dimitri started a fire in the fireplace and found some food in the closet but no of us were able to eat. I was holding Lissa in my arms singing quietly for her ears alone. She wept (from Christian's death and probably my terrible singing) silently into my shirt while time passed.

A buzzing sound sounded on Dimitri's phone. It was Alberta's voice.

"Guardian Belikov have you found anything?" she asked voice shouting in the background. From the window I could see flames rising high from buildings set on fire and could hear the shouts of those in pain.

"Novice Hathaway and Princess Lissa." He stepped away from us to tell her that Christian was dead.

"Well just keep them safe and keep that top room locked. The majority of the students are either in the church, the auditorium or have taken refuge else where but a small amount of them cease to exist," she put fragile.

"Okay." He sat back down in front of us. They way he looked at Lissa in a sisterly way was comforting to me and her. It meant he would just about protector as much as I could. It meant I could trust him. After Mason's death trusting anyone became a problem but Dimitri changed that just now when he grabbed Lissa's hand stroking it gently. Having three sisters I guess you'd learn the right way to comfort a girl in any situation. I still couldn't get into her head but I could sense all her emotions: pain heartache, longing, fear.

I hadn't realized she stopped singing until she said, "sing me another song Rosie," said using my nickname. She was the one and only person I'd let get away with that.

"What do you want me to sing?"

"One of my favorites."

I started humming 'My immortal' adding the words in silent whispers. Dimitri gave me a gentle smile recognition on his face. I stopped in the middle of a verse when a question donned on me.

"Liss?"

"Hmm…?" she asked barely conscious.

"How did you get away?"

"What?" she asked a bit more awake now.

"Why didn't they attack you?" Dimitri suddenly realizing the same thing pointed out," You'd be the first target being royalty."

She shook her head and buried her face into my shoulder. "T-the blonde just looked at me and smiled but I guess he heard the guardians near the front of the dorms because he took off."

"He still had the chance to grab you though," Dimitri pointed out. She rubbed her forehead and mumbled," I don't know. I didn't really think of it at the time."

She was lying.

Both of us knew and she knew we realized it but the opportunity to push at it was interrupted when a sudden banging on the dorm door started. Grunting could be heard.

"Should we let them in? What if they're moroi or novice's looking for a place to hide?" she asked alert.

"If they were moroi or novice's there wouldn't be grunting but yelling," I shouted over the banging. Dimitri went into action breaking the leg of a chair off and handing one to both us. To Liss he said," you shouldn't have to use this but just in case…"

She nodded gripping it tight but standing behind me.

He turned to me and said, "Stab one if they come near you and then run as far from this room with Lissa as possible. You stabbing them would at least give me time to attack them later. Put them off."

He quickly glanced over me nodding.

"I've taught you well enough to fight for your life and survive," he said locking my gaze beside him.

"That you have Comrade."

Just then the top of the metal door broke down and in came four strogoi quicker than my eyes could follow. The first was a girl barely older then Lissa and I.

Eagerness spread over the three older strogoi but this one only stared directly at Lissa and I.

Without any warning she lunged for us.

Lissa stepped back and let me take the fall. The Girl knocked me hard enough so that I fell over the couch and back first onto the floor. Haziness clouded my vision but it didn't stop me from pinning her down long enough to stab her.

I shoved her limp but still 'lifeless' body off of me and move toward Lissa frozen in the same spot behind Dimitri in front of the couch. Dimitri was in full combat mode, taking down each of the easily. When it was over he was standing with a few scratches and bruises but other than that appeared okay. I motioned my eyes to the girl behind the couch. He took her down before she could stir. Lissa stood frozen her eyes agape.

"Are you okay injury wise?" I asked.

She nodded and fell into me dropping the wooded makeshift stake. We fell to our knees, my arms wrapped around her.

I could hear Dimitri already making a barricade against the door keeping any unwanted visitors out.

An hour or so passed with me on the ouch Lissa stirring awake in my arms and Dimitri on the couch across from us using his knife to make another make shift stake just in case.

"How long has it been?" she asked.

"Not that long," I answered. She moaned and twisted in my arms. I rubbed her back when she suddenly flinched.

"That felt weird."

"What did? This." I rubbed her back in the same spot again and she flinched again.

"Yeah." I touched her back where she flinched and then lifted my hand up. Blood smeared over the palm of my hand. Dimitri stood from where he was sitting and sat beside me to inspect Lissa's back. He gently lifted the back of her shirt up where she was bleeding profusely. We had earlier assumed all the blood on her blouse was Christian's.

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," I answered shakily. "You have a small cut on your back."

"I need to clean it up though," Dimitri said.

He came back from the restrooms with a first aid kit and cleaned around the wound that turned out to be two bite marks. I wanted to gasp, to faint, to break through the walls and carry Lissa to the infirmary to Dr. Odlenzky but Dimitri place his hand over mine reminding me Lissa didn't know. I nodded and he continued bandaging her wound, covering it up.

I rocked her gently lulling her to sleep, a false sense of security.

When her eyes closed tears slowly rolled down my cheeks onto her stained white sweater.

Dimitri whispered," We both know what those bite marks mean." I shook my head not wanting to hear him.

"No," I said in a small voice.

"I hate this every bit as you do."

I shook my head staring forward listening but not wanting to hear him. "No."

"Eventually, weather we like it or not, she's going to turn."

"No."

I broke down crying but silent enough for Lissa not to wake. I kept my eyes forward but the feeling of him beside me didn't stop the realization from hitting me.

"I won't lose her. I refuse to. She's all I have left. I'm not letting some murderous bastard take her away from me."

I finally turned to look at him. He knew how much I was hurting, the unnamable feeling carousing through me. He knew I'd be nothing but a broken novice if I lost her but we both knew there were two options: let her turn or kill her before it happens.

Wetness formed in his eyes. I'd notice along with everyone else how a sibling bond formed between the two of them and losing her would be almost as painful as losing someone actually apart of your family.

But it was inevitable.

If there any time I were given a miracle, I'd use it not now to make a wish. That everything would be perfect. Lissa would get Christian, I'd be with Dimitri and we'd live happened for the rest of our lives somewhere far away from this hell whole we call the moroi/dhampire world.

Not like the dream I had before where I was married to Dimitri with kids and all four of us were still apart of the academy but something better, life outside the academy.

Dimitri had told Alberta our situation to keep her updated and she had the same resolve we figured now two hours ago. As I said before, it's inevitable.

"How long do you suppose she has?" I whispered.

"Not long. The wound is already closing."

"I thought Spirit Users heal easily."

"That's what we thought to but apparently the poison form strogoi is powerful enough to take out even the better of us," he informed me.

"Damn. I'd switch with her in a second."

"As would I Roza," he said stroking my arm comfortingly. A thought hit me.

"Oh my goodness."

"What? What is it?"

"I can switch places with her."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean when she was practicing with Adrian on how to heal we worked with me being able to take the bad stuff away form her, wounds included. I can switch with her," I said almost hysterical, laughing.

Dimitri didn't know what to say. The thought of losing Lissa was unbearable but the thought of losing me had to be just as bad. He's implied many times that he loved me and I've done the same but until it's said out loud nothing is stopping me from killing my self to save Liss.

He didn't know what to say that would sound right under the circumstances.

He saw the trepidation in my eyes and saw that nothing, not even him would stop me from doing this.

All he was able to whisper through the pain on his face was," okay."

"When I do this, don't you dare blame your self Dimitri. Promise me that."

He reluctantly gave me a stiff nod. "What do you do?"

"I need to get into her head." I closed my eyes and focused only on Lissa, pushing everything out of my head but pushing Dimitri to the side not completely out, needing his strength to get me through this. I tried again and again but still I could get in.

"Damn!"

"What?"

" I can't get into her head. I haven't been able to all night."

"Has this happened before?"

"Only when she takes her medication."

"Has she taken it." I checked feeling the slight buzz around her head.

"Yeah. I won't be able to get in unless it wears off but by then…"

"It'll be too late," he finished for me.

I silently cursed my self while trying repeatedly to get into her head to no avail. Every time I tried I'd get weaker finally growing faint slouching over Lissa.

"Okay Roza you need to stop," Dimitri said planting a kiss on my forehead.

He held for a second before pulling away, eyes watery watching me cry.

"I don't…I can't do this…I can't lose her. I won't." But I knew there was nothing else except hope.

"Maybe she'll hold out until the e medicine wears off."

"I hope for the same thing but it's unlikely. It'll be too late by then. The only thing we can do is wait."

"Wait for what?" Lissa asked in a groggy voice. She didn't move from the position she was in on my lap.

"N-nothing Lissy."

"You're a terrible liar Roses," she told me using yet another nickname. "You called me Lissy."

"So what you called me Rosie and Roses. Do I look like a rose?"

"No and you sure as hell don't act like one," she laughed.

"I second that," Dimitri added in. We laughed silently at that for a while before coming back to reality the good feeling wearing away again.

"So I assume we're waiting for help."

"Yes," we answered her in unison.

"And for all of this to end."

"Yes," we answered again.

"And for me to turn strogoi."

Both of us turned to each other but stayed quiet.

"Neither of you whispers as quietly as you think you do," Dimitri and I couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry I'm not mad but you guys should be," she said.

"What?"

"I knew I was bitten before you guys did and put you guys in danger by letting both of you take me into 'safety' with you."

"We're not mad. We could never be mad at you," Dimitri said. My mouth fell open with shock.

"Why didn't you let us get you to the infirmary or something Liss?"

"What could they have done Rosie?"

"Something other than waiting for you to…"

"No Rose. We all know it."

"We're not killing you Lissa." She sat up on the other side of me to face me and Dimitri. "Dimitri is right. You don't really have a choice."

"We do if you hold out long enough for me to…"

"I can't hold out that long."

"Lissa do this one thing for me and let me…"

"No."

I didn't feel like crying or sitting there waiting. I needed to get out and away pretend like none of this was happening but Lissa's eyes kept me there.

You can tell when someone is about to turn when they paler than normal for a moroi, their eyes start to glaze and then darken and finally turn red, when their body tightens and feel like they can't breath. We talked about good times we've had, our own way of saying good bye, telling Dimitri all about her family while he told us about his. Lissa was laying across my lap again her feet on Dimitri's when she started shaking.

"Liss," my voice creaked.

"Rosie…I'm-m scared," she stammered tears rolling down her cheeks. Dimitri leaned over the side of the couch and grabbed his stake Lissa not seeing. I shook my head and leaned into his ear.

"Not like that, please."

He nodded and put his hand back over the arm of the couch the stake still in his clutch.

"Maybe I c-can finally introduce Christian to my family in heaven," she giggled through tears.

"I'm sure you will but he might be a little nervous to meet 'em." We chuckled at that, Lissa's shaking growing uncontrollable.

"Can y-you d-do something for me Rosie?"

"Anything."

"D-don't let me know when it's coming? The big coward I am I don't want to feel anything."

"You won't. I swear of it."

"I love you Rosie. You're not my best friend or my guardian. You're my sister. Dimitri you're not my guardian either or my friend. You're a second brother to me," she trembled. I couldn't let Lissa see me scared. I didn't let any tears fall. Dimitri clutched her hand and told her she was another sister to him. I got on my knees crouched in front of the couch. "Promise you'll take care of each other. I d-don't want to see either of you anytime soon up there. Y-you'd both better be very old before the next time I see you," she smiled brightly.

I kissed her on the forehead. The thought of losing Mason pains me but I know he did without feeling a thing. It was the only way I'd be able to end this for her.

After I kissed her forehead, Dimitri holding her hands in his grasp, I stroked her neck then shut my eyes and turned her head and her neck one way before she could say any more.

Everything after wards is a blur. I remember pushing everyone away from Lissa's body. I remember crying on her for hours on end always feeling cold and whispering a German prayer she always liked to hear. I remember Dimitri pulling me away into his arms letting the other guardians take her body.

The only thing that's completely clear is when Adrian approached me at the ceremony held for all the lost guardians, students, and turned. I stared vacantly ahead while he kneeled in front of me.

"I'm leaving the academy. My grandmother wants me back at court where she knows ill be under constant protection." For once he didn't smell heavy of liquor or cigarettes. His hand gently sat on my knee stroking my hands.

"I don't want to leave you here but it was more of an order than a request."

I nodded.

"Promise me you'll be safe." I nodded again.

He leaned into me standing at my eye level. He was dressed in a nice dark suit and shirt, with black shoes. He gently pressed his lips to my forehead and held it there. I wrapped my hands around his neck returning the gesture.

"I'll be keeping a distant eye out for you making sure you're safe. Always safe." I nodded into his shoulder. "I talked to guardian Belikov and some of the other guardians and made sure they'll be keeping you safe. They said they would."

"Thank you Adrian." I kissed his check and then on the lips. We pulled apart and then looked into each other's eyes.

"It would've never worked out between us sweet heart," he said a wicked smile on his face.

"No I'm to good for you," I said able to bring a joke to my lips. We laughed and then he left after giving me one last hug and kiss before leaving me sitting alone at the ceremony.

I don't know how long I sat there but the longer I did, the more pain I felt like I was taking in. I felt like I was absorbing everyone's sorrow and pain, everyone's heartbreak and fear, if something this bad could happen on guarded territory what could happen on the unguarded territory once senior novices were turned loose?

The thunder sounded overhead giving my echo to my already growing headache. I'd been given a warrior mark before this ceremony. It was about to rain and that was all I needed.

"You should get inside." Dimitri stood beside me placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't want to."

"Rosemarie…"

"Is it me?"

"What?"

"Everything that's happened. Is it something I did. Is this some karma for not saving Mason, or not praying or believing in God, or for falling in love with someone when I shouldn't have? Is all this building up into bad karma so that I'll lose anyone I love or care about?"

He knelt beside me. "Don't you dare think that. Ever. This is just…unfortunately the life we live, the consequences of what we do."

"The consequences of killing?"

"I don't know. I have as many questions as you do but I have learned that blaming your self only makes things seem worse than they truly are. The guilt won't fade away automatically, it'll take time," he said answering my thoughts.

"Doesn't seem like we have a lot of that."

"We don't Roza. That's why we just have to learn to build good memories around it and make do with what time we do have…together."

I clasped his hand and stood my legs numb from having them crossed for so long. "Make do with what time we have…"

"Yes."

There were a few things I thought of so that I could make do with the time I had. We walked off out of the open grass and back towards the main buildings of the academy hand in hand. The thought of me not being able to make do crossed my mind when Mason, Christian, and Liss stood with all of those fallen around us smiling, Liss holding Christian and her brother Andre's hand smiling and the freedom and happiness I wouldn't have for a long time to come.


	2. Later and Almost

The leaves rustled around my boots. Winter was practically over, spring already exposing its true colors. I didn't know where I was going but being cooped up in my dorm room all day was not option for Dimitri or my therapist.

"You need to get outside more. Start getting used to being in your own head," Deirdre advised me.

It was weird having my head to my self for once. I'd thought that without Lissa there'd be no reason for me to continue. To continue fighting for the moroi and dhampires like she did, continue training, or continue living for that matter just like Anna probably did. The only thing keeping me together and sane was Dimitri's and every other guardians constant watch over me, holding on when I thought I'd fall off. Adrian apparently stayed true to his word.

Dimitri was the pushiest of them all (not that I minded).

"You're not in this alone Roza. We're going to go through this together," he repeated to me. At first I thought it was just one of his many monologues, speeches, or life lesson quotes of Zen but then I started actually listening to him, letting the words sink in.

Right now his words were echoing in the wind. Thinking for my self with no interruptions (i.e. not being pulled into Lissa's head) was going to take so getting used to. Without the extra baggage of emotions I was left feeling empty and often wandering around like this without any true destination to go to.

"Rosemarie? What are you doing out here?" Dimitri asked walking toward me.

If I didn't know any better I'd day he was keeping tabs on me, always ten feet behind.

"Mmm, wandering about. What are you doing so far out here?" I asked turning the question back onto him. I knew this wasn't his watch route for one thing and second we were too far out for this to be any ones watch route. "Keeping close tabs?" I added trying to cock my brow like he usually did.

"Yes," he answered honestly. "I worry about you often enough it kills to be away from you," he said in an almost sarcastic tone.

A blush came to my check when I said, "…and I thought I was the one giving out all of the flirty and promiscuous jokes without response. Who knew you had a sense of humor under your strict guardian mask."

He walked into step with me farther into the forest around the campus.

"And I thought you'd appreciate my poor attempts to lighten your mood," he chuckled.

"What you said sounded like something Adrian would say," I told him.

"Comparing me to Ivashkov. I don't know weather to consider that an insult or compliment."

"Take it as a compliment."

"Was that the way you meant it?"

"Let's change the subject," I laughed.

He smiled despite he constant attempts not to around me. A comfortable silence settled around us for a while, the only sound coming from the crunch of leaves under our shoes.

"How have you been holding up?"

"You've been with me often enough to know," I laughed.

"Very true but you give me the brush off saying 'I'm fine' or 'I'm okay'. Honestly, how are you?"

I bit my lip. Showing weakness was something I'd grown used to not doing for a while now. Letting it on that I was hurting and would probably never heal was a weakness I wasn't ready to share but the longing gaze in Dimitri's eyes yanked the truth out of me.

"Honestly, I'm scared," I mumbled.

He looked taken aback. Not the answer he expected I'd give. Lousy, awful, ticked off, maybe but Rose Hathaway admitting she's scared. No Way.

"Scared?"

"Yes. I get this feeling I'll never adjust. It'll never be the same again. I have like this sinking feeling in my stomach, and I feel like I'm falling into darkness deeper and deeper until all will be left will be me in a catatonic state, twitching in my own room in a mental hospital," I rambled wetness forming in my eyes.

Now that it was out there I wish I could take it back. Dimitri worried enough about me but now my monologue about me falling into a dark depression and never be pulled back out again added the weight to that. I didn't want him to think I needed constant supervision. Supervised by him I wouldn't mind but any others, no way.

He grabbed my arm and turned me toward him, concern spread on his face.

"Roza, I would never let that happen and-"

"Dimitri you said it your self, there are things that even your afraid of."

"All of those fears involving you in some way," he said.

"As much as I'd like to believe it, you can't protect me from everything. That's why I'm better off taking care of my self," I said turning away. He stopped me again.

"I thought I'd made it clear you're not going through this by your self."

I gave a small smile, wetness still in my eyes, and put my ungloved hands on both his cheeks. The scruff of his unshaved beard tickled my hand. His hair blew outward shaping his face. _Truly a god,_ I thought with a sigh.

"You have made it clear and I appreciate everything you've done for me lately, the breakfast, lunches and dinners," he smiled at that. "I really do you're sweet for looking out for me but-"

"There's always a but," he interrupted.

"But, I'm going to sound a lot like you right now, I think given the circumstances of our job, we should-"

"Not spend so much time together." I couldn't bring my self speak so I nodded.

Slowly his hands wrapped around me pulling me closer to him. The thought of resisting wasn't even lingering in my mind. I gently pushed back strands of his hair (he'd been wearing it down a lot lately :D) and stroked his cheek with the tips of my fingers. He leaned into my palm still smiling.

It would have been the perfect moment for us to kiss but the sound of the alarm rang out for the second time in weeks.

Damn!


	3. When and Don't Ever

A/N: A long updated chapter to make up for my lack of typing but it's here now. Hope you guys like it. XD I was just going to end it at the first chapter but many of you told me to continue so…I took all of your advice and kept going!

Dimitri and I stared at each other for another heartbeat and then immediately went into action, our past moment lingering behind us. We ran through the woods and out into the open bumping into Alberta.

"Alberta what's going on?" Dimitri asked. Alberta looked frantic and was pacing.

"Someone sounded the alarm. I got word that a few strogoi were spotted on the perimeter but nothing confirmed yet." She pushed a few loose strands of her slat and pepper colored hair back and stood in front of us, something occurring to her. "Where are you two coming from?"

We both open our mouths to speak a response neither one of us had ready. To my pleasure and amusement, Dimitri was taken off guard as well. We stumbled on our words babbling something about the woods and hearing something thinking it was a squirrel.

"Oh," was all she said not convinced. Dimitri and I shared a look and turned back to Alberta our lips pursed.

"Alberta!" a guardian shouted running towards us from the distance. I noticed Alberta and Dimitri both bracing themselves for the worst. Dimitri put a hand on my shoulder.

"You should probably…" he started but I cut my eye at him, my look getting through.

No way. Through everything I'd been through, another breech was something I could handle. The school, I'm not so sure.

The guardian, a big guy with wicked red hair made it towards us, gasping for air and trying to speak at the same time.

"A few of the guardians think…they saw a flicker…of someone running…through the woods around them…but they aren't sure." He named the guardians.

"Where?" Dimitri asked.

"Behind the old main buildings on the west side of the school," he rushed out. He continued explaining but I spaced out, the sight of Lissa distracting me. I didn't realize when I walked away from the commotion, Dimitri and Alberta probably assuming I was heading for my dorm but they knew me better than that.

Lissa motioned me over. She was panicky, frightened, and paranoid looking shifting around and peering over her shoulder.

"Rose," she said in a gasp. Her voice was a high-pitched whisper. "You have to…" she faded away and reappeared again. A headache like no other formed and flashes of figures and darkness formed dancing in front of my eyes. I could barely see Liss through them, fading in and out trying to say something to me, waving and motioning at me franticly.

"I have to…what?" I tried to ask but my voice came out horse and my head started to spin. I could feel my self trembling, shivering and stumbling about to fall over when someone caught me.

"Whoa!" Dimitri shouted, me falling into his arms.

"Catch her," Alberta gasped after the fact.

Alberta and the other guardian were saying something but I only heard Dimitri's soothing words.

"It's okay. You're going to be fine."

"Would you like me to take her while you go with Alberta to inspected the gates."

"No," Dimitri said defensively. He hoisted me into his arms and started to carry me away but turned back to say, "The wards are down meaning the strogoi are probably in the school. Again."

"Okay. Take her to the old cabin. It's in a safe perimeter 'cause the hospitals are so busy and full." I think Dimitri nodded. "And Belikov, how do you know this?"

"Rose just told me."

I wasn't fully unconscious. I could sense everything around me and was bale to talk. My headache was starting to fade but not entirely still knocking like a hammer on wood.

"Listen to me. You have to stay awake, Roza," Dimitri coaxed. I groaned a yes and shifted in his arms gripping his shirt. "You saw them didn't you? Like the last few times." I nodded slightly, my head protesting and let my eyes drift downward.

When I woke up, I was under a layer of blankets, in a warm cozy room.

The cabin.

I could hear the crackle of the embers in the fireplace, the whistle of the wind out side the window and a chair screeching against the floor as someone stood up from a chair, pushing it back and moving toward me. Dimitri sat on the edge of the bed and shook me lightly on the shoulder. His touch sent a shock through me.

I immediately sat up but he pushed me back gently. "Not so fast. You hit you're head pretty hard."

"I don't…remember hitting my head," I said rubbing my forehead. I could feel two thin bandage strips on my forehead.

"That just shows how hard you hit it." Weird. The back of his hand stroked my cheek. I could feel a blush on my face.

"How long have we been here?" I asked breaking the tension.

"An hour or so. I was worried you'd never wake up," he admitted sheepishly.

"Well as you can see, I'm fine and we can get out of here and see what's going on." I pulled the blankets back and was about to throw my legs over the side of the bed when Dimitri pushed them back.

"Oh no you don't. It's okay. The wards were down because a few of the moroi were trying to strengthen them, running around the woods and what not. It was not a security breech as match as it was a lack of communication."

"Oh," was all I said. "Where does everyone think we are?"

"/they know we're here. I called Alberta. She wanted us to stay here until I was sure you're alright."

Nervouse, I jumped out of bed fast enough so that he couldn't grab me and stop me. I stood in font of him arms crossed.

"Well as you can see, I'm fine."

"I know that." He sat there and stared. I waited.

"So we can go." He continued sitting there.

"No concusion comrade," I said waving my hands in forn tof his face.

"She also told me to take this as an opportunity to talk to you," he laughed, stopping me form waving my hands and pulled me toward him. We were inches apart. I sighed.

"Roza, about what happened in the woods-"

"won't happened again."

"No. I mean yes…I mean. Everything you confided to me is safe." I relaxed. I thought he was going to talk about our almost kiss.

"I know that," I shrugged. A thought occurred to me. What would it hurt if I kissed Dimitri right now to make up for the almost kiss earlier? I wanted to and he wanted me to.

"Good. Then you also know you can talk to me."

"I know that too."

"Okay, so who'd you see?"

I sighed, the thought and moment fading away. My heart swelled.

"Liss?" he guessed. I nodded and dropped my head. He tiled my chin up with his finger.

"I'm so sorry Roza"

"for what?" I mumbled. "It was my fault, I should've-"

"What could you have done?"

"I don' tknow. Go into her head sooner or something. I should've been with her."

"That makes two of us."

"Hey, hey, hey comrade, there's only room for one pity/guilt party here in such a small cabin." He laughed lightly, a moment of happiness flashing in those deep brown eyes.

"Well then it's mine."

I shook my head. The memories flashing in my head, bring tears to my eyes. I swallowed and dropped my head again. I tried to pull out of Dimitri's hands but he gripped me tighter. I had to get control of this crying thing.

"Listen. Liss loved you and instead of you saving her she saved you for once. She was happy with the decision she made."

"But she left me here," I whined. A tear escaped my eyes. He cupped my face and wiped the tear away. He pulled me toward him, resting his lips against my hair. "Why would she leave me here? I need here. Sometimes I think I need her more than she does me," I said against his chest, my voice muffled. He rubbed my back and rocked me back and forth slowly.

"You both needed each other but she knew you would be okay, that you'd be strong enough to make it without her. You're not alone Rosemarie." I twisted at the sound of my full name. He chuckled bringing a smile to my lips. I gripped the front of his shirt.

"Lemme guess. I have you," I said gratefully.

"But of course," he said pulling back to face me. He wiped my tears away but more fell after them, contrasting with the light smile on my lips. He kissed my forehead. I was grateful to have someone like Dimitri with me. He was the rock that kept me standing, the energy that kept me going, and the reason my love of him kept growing.

He pulled away again to my disappointment.

"Are you…" he chose his words carefully. "Are you as okay as can be?"

I gave a sad smile and then slowly moved to kiss him. He kissed me back wrapping me tightly in his arms, warmth included.

It was a long passionate kiss and when he pulled away we were both gasping for air.

"We shouldn't do this," he told me.

"Why?" my voice croaked. "You don't want me?" My voice was higher than I intended.

The look in his eyes was full of hurt and shock, his voice the same. "No, no, no of course I do. Don't you ever think that sweetheart, ever," he said gripping me tight. I lifted my hand that was resting on his knee and gripped the hand on the side of my cheek. "I just don't think that right now, with you feeling like this…that we should do something you'll regret later."

I nodded sheepishly.

"But don't ever think I don't want you or love you."

"But Dimitri," I whispered. "Now's when I need you most." He gave me a little smile, rubbed my cheek and pulled in to kiss him again.


	4. With Little Help We Pull and Walk Away

Dimitri pulled back again still cupping my face. We were standing now a few inches apart.

"Rose…I just…I don't think…" his words trailed off as my lips brushed against his.

I wanted and needed him, forever and always. I wanted him to grip me tight in the protection of his warm arms, to whisper that everything would be all right and kiss me tenderly. Gazing into those deep eyes I knew he wanted it all too.

"Please," I whispered, pulling back a second. Softly his hands ran up my arms and his grip tightened. He motioned to pull me toward him and I obliged.

Our kisses deepened. He ran a trail of warmth down my neck and over chest before pulling back. Again.

I purse my lips but then continue you to kiss every inch of his face all over.

"Rosa-" he starts to say. I lock my lips onto his. I can feel his heart beating against my chest in rhythm with mine.

He pushes my shoulder gently but I attach my self to him again. I'm kissing up his jaw line.

"Roza," he says stronger this time his voice no longer in a whisper.

"I want this," I say. I'm looking up at him still in his grip. "I want you." I can see him soften and relax.

He mutters something in Russian first angrily and then with a sly smile on his face.

My weakness," he says more to himself, shaking his head.

I'm sure I have a confused expression because he explains.

"I want to give you everything, Roza. Believe me I do, including my heart, to make you happy because…I love you like mad," he exhales exasperated. "But…I'm not going to give you my self when you're like this. In a weak moment."

I smile to my self and look down. I believe every word that rings through me but in a selfish way it isn't enough. For once his words aren't enough. Only his touch can heal me I'm sure.

My hand rests on his chest. It feels right there, a perfect fit.

If even the love of my life can't give me something to heal me and make me feel better than I only know one thing that can.

Embarrassed by my persuasion techniques I blush and step away. I can't meet his gaze. In a robotic state, silent, I reach for my coat, and walk out of the door. Dimitri couldn't give me what I want but I still stop in the doorway when he says my name. I pause and then keep walking away.

It's been a few hours since my incident, my terrible attempt to seduce a man of Dimitri's…strength. I regret ever ruining the understanding we had before I attacked him, I regret walking away without turning back. I hadn't expected him to come after me but right now, in the back of the library researching and typing away at a computer, I wish he had.

I shake the thought away and continue you searching for a different way to talk to Lissa, to heal. This wasn't the way I thought I'd heal my self before. A random though of suicide had actually crossed my mind.

And for a split second, I contemplated it when Dimitri turned me away.

Again I shake the thought away, literally this time, and click on a link. The school mostly has website only pertaining to moroi and certain dhampires and with the lack there of students in mourning, I'm able to look through website without feeling like I'm being watched.

"I guess something good did come out of that attack," I mumble, smiling to my self. Liss would've laughed at my attempt to lighten the mood.

I scroll through a couple of random websites before finding one that has a few old fashioned summoning spells. It's mostly for moroi use but with the right help, a dhampire can do it to.

Even if it's against the rules.

I copy and paste the page onto Microsoft word, accidentally opening another black Microsoft page, clear the history and hit print. It's a crazy idea beyond my own little world of weirdness but right about now, or as Dimitri had said, in my state or weakness, I was open for anything that might help me talk to her again, my best friend.

I move to close the extra word page when words start typing against across the screen. After a year of blood and slaughter this doesn't freak me out.

Entirely.

IT actually surprises me more.

**Rose!**

I sit back down in the chair and reluctantly reply to a phantom writer.

Yeah…

The arrow thing on the page blinks and then words are on the page again.

I have to warn you before…too late!

**Liss! **

I'm getting ready to type a slur of words but phantom Liss deletes them and types her own.

**I don't have a lot of time. I'm weak right now but I have to warn you.**

**About what?**

**There's…going…. happen at the…**

I try to reply but the computer screen flashes and then shuts down completely. Forcing away the creeping pain, I silently pray it isn't fried, hope that Liss can talk to me again and that no other disaster will hit the academy as I walk out of the library.

If this is what Liss is trying to tell me I need the full details and to talk to her. As soon as possible

A day after my weird instant message encounter with Liss I run into Adrian.

"I thought you were…"

"I'm here for a visit to get few things clear up," he explains. He's dressed neat and classy or wealthy stature as always and oddly enough doesn't reek of alcohol or cigarette smoke.

"Sobering up and wearing an addiction patch I see," I point out trying to smile. It takes all the energy out of me to even wince.

He laughs softly, half-heartedly. "Yeah. It'd kinda…well I like to think of it as Lissa's affect on me."

I hope he doesn't notice when I flinch at her name.

He does.

"It feels weird doesn't it?" I try to raise my brows in an 'are you serious' way but fail miserably.

"Yeah," I mumble staring at the ground. He tilts my chin upward to look at him. With a clean face and no extra sent beside a faint whiff of cologne, he looks good. Better than good, I notice. Handsome.

"She's gone Rose and it hurts but I'm ninety-nine percent certain she want us to move on."

"What about the other one percent."

He chuckles with little amusement. He's mourning at a loss of a cousin and spirit-using partner.

"Well the other one percent is the off chance that she's pissed and haunting us for trying to live without her." I laugh for the first time in an entire day.

"That would only happen if I had the slightest affect on her. That's something I would do."

"For sure."

A thought occurs to me when I rethink the part about Liss haunting us. Adrian notices when the light bulb above my head flashed on and I put two things together.

"What?"

"I was just thinking. Actually wondering. Have you like…seen Liss?" He moves his hand from my chin to peel off his leather gloves in a Chuck Bass type way. He actually thinks about it and then his head flicks up in realization.

"She's dead Rose."

I clench my jaw.

"I know that. I mean, have you seen her in like a ghost form in like a dream or…" when he eyes me in a 'Rose has gone psycho way' I let my words trail away.

"No. I haven't." He concentrates on putting the long leather gloves on my own chapped and numb hands. "Have you?"

"No," I say to quickly.

"Right."

"Look if you're not going to even hear me out there's no reason for me to explain." He zips the first glove up and buttons the three buttons at the bottom.

"I'm listening Rose." It's weird to hear him say my actual name. I didn't even think he knew it.

I exhaled. What have I got to lose, I think before explaining everything that's happen from my first encounter to my poor attempt to try and summon her my self leaving out the scene between Dimitri and I.

When I'm finished his face is expressionless and he's still trying to pull the other glove on me.

I can't stand the silence.

"Look. You and Liss worked with magic, healing people, and dream stalking, walking, and a lot of other cool things I'm sure but why can't you believe me? Something as small as ghost and you won't take in one word I've just said."

"Who said I didn't believe you?"

He buttons and zips this glove finally getting it on.

"Well you're silent and awkward pause didn't exactly send an understanding message."

"I believe you." His green eyes say so.

"Okay. SO are you going to help me try to talk to her?"

"Yes but not now. I have a few things to take care of but when I get back I'll help you. Until then, stay out of trouble and no matter how many encounters you have with Liss, don't-"

"Do anything stupid. How long will you be gone?"

He pulls off his cashmere scarf and folds it once to make it shorter.

"I'll be here for two days to straighten out some old records but then I fly back to court for a day or so. Shouldn't be more than three, four days," he explain.

"In three or four days something terrible can happen."

"If you think something happens, call me." He wraps the gray scarf around my neck and pulls out a flip cell phone. "Here. Emergencies only or unless you really want to talk."

He sounds so serious and so un-Adrian like it takes me ma few seconds reply.

"O-ok. Got it. Just so you know though if something does happen and you can't get here in time I'll do what I have to to stop it."

"Rose-"

"NO argument rich boy. You can take my weird end of the offer or leave everything as is and let me handle it my self."

There are indent's were he bites the side of his cheek. He looks hollow and pale but again in a handsome way. I look him up and down waiting for him to answer. Pulling the small gray matching binni cap off his head and placing it on mine he says, "Ok but most likely I'll be back in three days. Call me."

He adjusts the hat. When he's done I turn on my heal and head back towards my dorm. But before turning the corner I spin around and face Adrian again where he's still standing, watching me walk away.

"Thanks for the clothes by the way."

"Anytime little dhampire."


End file.
